Recently, our lab and Dr. Tal Danino's lab reported a novel microbial encapsulation method to promote bacteria-assited therapies. By delicate engineering of the genetic circuit, we developed an inducible capsular polysaccharide (iCAP) on E. coli surface that help the therapeutic bacteria to elude the host immune system temporarily, hence lower risks of inflammation. This allowed higher doses of therapeutic bacteria in mice, which led to improved anti-tumor efficacy. When the iCAP shed, the naked E. coli was quickly cleared in vivo. This work is co-lead by Tetsuhiro Harimoto, a PhD student in Danino’s lab, and Dr. Jaeseung Hahn, a Postdoc in both Danino’s lab and Leong's lab. It is puclished in Nature Biotechnology.
Read more: https://www.engineering.columbia.edu/news/bacteria-cloaking-cancer-therapy
